OPN architect Bradd Brown told an audience of two dozen, this morning, the expectations of the Washington Public Library's design charrette, during the event's orientation. OPN architects of Cedar Rapids will host the event until 8 this evening, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., tomorrow, and until about noon, Saturday. The charette is open to the public and is an attempt to gather as much public input about the new library design as possible. Anyone is invited to drop in anytime during the three-day event and offer design ideas, review developing plans or just become informed of the process. Hopefully, by the end of the charrette, the OPN architects will have a direction to follow when they sit down to iron out sketches and plans.
      "We're going to try to do this in two and a half days to come up with something that leads to sketches," said architect Bruce Hammes.
      Brown said the architects hosting the charrette-held at the future library site on the south side of the Washington square-will neither hide nor dismiss design suggestions from the public. Rather, "We'll take them all and start covering the walls," he said.
      The attendance at the 9 a.m. orientation was better than expected, hinted Brown, whose architectural firm has designed several public libraries and used a charrette to kick-start the process.
      "I don't know if we've had this many people at the initial meeting before," he said.
      Washington Library Foundation member Jim Gorham said he hoped the charrette will draw many citizens with input on or interest in the project.